Arrangement for transporting freight in containers on railroad cars having long travel cushioning characteristics



Oct. 22, 1963 GUTRIDGE 3,107,634

ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSPORTING FREIGHT IN CONTAINERS ON RAILROAD CARS HAVING LONG TRAVEL CUSHIQNING CHARACTERISTICS Filed Feb. 29, 1960 8 Sheets-Sheet l JNVENTOR.

JACK E.GUTRIDGE ATTO RNEYS 3,107,634 N RAILR OAD 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR@ E GUTRIDGE ATTO RN EYS JACK VI/IIIII/IIIIIII IIIIIIIIII" Oct. 22, 1 J. E. GUTRIDGE ORTING NG LONG TRAVEL. CUSHIONING CHARACTERISTICS ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSP FREIGHT IN CONTAINERS 0 CARS HAVI Filed Feb. 29, 1960 mmm Oct. 22, 1963 J GUTRmGE 3,107,634

ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSPORTING FREIGHT IN CONTAINERS 0N RAILROAD CARS HAVING LONG TRAVEL CUSHIONING CHARACTERISTICS Filed Feb. 29, 1960 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 v UE INVENTOR. JACK E. GU TRIDGE ATTORNEYS Oct. 22, 1963 J. E. GUTRIDGE 3,107,634 ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSPORTING FREIGHT IN CONTAINERS 0N RAILROAD cARs HAVING LONG TRAVEL CUSHIONING CHARACTERISTICS Filed Feb. 29. 1960 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 E v m D T N R 0 7 m w a w. G 0% OWN i K @m c 4% m. l 9m Y W B Sm mom 9m ma ATTORN EYS Oct. 22, 1963 J. E. GUTRIDGE 3,107,634

ARRANGEMENT EOR TRANSPORTING FREIGHT IN CONTAINERS 0N RAILROAD CARS HAVING LONG TRAVEL CUSHIONING CHARACTERISTICS Filed Feb. 29, 1960 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. I JACK E. GUTRIDGE ATTO RNEYS Oct. 22, 1963 J. E. GUTRIDGE 3,107,634

ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSPORTING FREIGHT IN CONTAINERS oN RAILROAD CARS HAVING LONG TRAVEL CUSHIONING CHARACTERISTICS Filed Feb. 29, 1960 a Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. JACK E. GUTRIDGE ATTO R N EYS Oct. 22, 1963 J. E.- GUTRIDGE 3,107,634 ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSPORTING FREIGHT IN CONTAINERS ON RAILROAD CARS HAVING LONG TRAVEL CUSHIONING CHARACTERISTICS Filed Feb. 29, 1960 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 mmm mmm OsN mmm

nvwszvron JACK E. GUTRIDGE ATTO RNEYS Oct. 22, 1963 J. E. GUTRIDGE 3,107,634 mam-2m FOR TRANSPORTING FREIGHT IN CONTAINERS 0N RAILROAD CARS HAVING LONG TRAVEL cusmomuc CHARACTERISTICS Filed Feb. 29, 1960 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR. JACK E. GUTRIDGE ATTORNEYS United States Patent ARRANGEMENT FOR SPORTING FREIGHT IV CONTAINERS ON RAILROAD CARS HAVING LONG TRAVEL CUSHIONING CHARACTER- ISTICS Jack E. Gutridge, Dyer, Ind, assign'or to Pullman Incorporated, hicago, 11L, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 11,905 Claims. (Cl. 105-366) This invention relates to an arrangement for transporting freight in containers on railroad cars having long travel cushioning characteristics, and more particularly, my invention is directed to a simplified support bracket structure for mounting freight containers on such car, as well as an improved cooperation between the containers and the bracket structures and a system of handling freight of which the containers form a part.

One of the signficant advantages of the invention described in William H. Peterson application Serial No. 856,963, filed December 3, 1959, now Patent No. 3,003,43 6, granted October 10, 1961 (the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by this reference), is that it permits the use of light freight containers of simplified design in transporting freight by rail. The principles of the Peterson invention contemplate that a cushion device of sufiicient length and capacity be employed between the car couplers and the lading containing body to permit the velocity changes of the lading required by the Law of Conservation of Momentum (for any given impact) to be efiected primarily through frictional forces acting between the lading and its container (usually the car body), rather than through car body end wall pressure on the lading. These principles, when incorporated in a railroad car, provide eifective protection for all forms of lading as well as for the equipment employed up to collision speeds, regardless of whether the lading is carried in the car body of a standard railroad car, or in a freight container or trailer body, mounted on a flatcar or the like. The reduced forces acting on the lading and equipment during impacts mean that car equipment and freight containers may be simplified and lightened to an extent heretofore thought impossible in this art.

The Peterson invention also permits the use of simplified devices for mounting freight containers on railroad cars, since longitudinal shocks, which now may be adequately handled by practicing the Peterson invention, have heretofore required strong securement against pitch and bounce as well as longitudinal shifting of the containers with respect to the car.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide simplified bracket structures for mounting freight containers on freight cars having the long travel cushioning characteristics contemplated by said Peterson invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide freight container support brackets for fiatcars and the like which are elevated above the car bed, so that they will not be affected by snow and ice collecting on the car bed during inclement weather.

Still other objects of the invention are to provide a freight handling system contemplating freight containers that are adapted for separable connection to a trailer chassis, to provide a simplified freight container-chassis arrangement contemplating two standard kingpin connections, to provide a freight container railroad car support arrangement for standard box type containers, and to provide freight handling apparatus which is inexpensive of manufacture, efficient in use, and adaptable to a wide variety of freight transportation problems.

Other and further objects, uses and advantages will be 3,l7,fi34 Patented Oct. 22, 1963 obvious or become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the application drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating a railroad flatcar having the long travel characteristics contemplated by said Peterson invention which is provided with one form of container support bracket structures contemplated by my invention, also showing several containers of the type that are best adapted to be supported by the bracket structures illustrated;

FIGURE 2 is a small scale side elevational view showing both of the containers of FIGURE 1 applied to the illustrated flatcar;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmental sectional view on an enlarged scale approximately along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, illustrating the forward end of one of the freight containers of FIGURE 1 and the forward support bracket structures on which it rests as well as devices for latching the forward end of the container to the railroad car;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmental side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the lower portion of the left hand container shown in FIGURE 1 and the container support brackets and adjacent car decking on which the container rests;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmental sectional view on an enlarged scale approximately along line 55 of FIGURE 2, illustrating the rear end of the container of FIGURE 4 and the rear bracket structures and latching devices with which the container is associated;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmental sectional view approximately along line 66 of FIGURE 4, diagrammatically illustrating the nature of the container kingpin structure;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmental top plan view of one of the containers, the fifth wheel plate structure associated therewith, and the container supporting bracket and latching arrangements associated therewith in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom perspective view of the forward end of a container of FIGURE 1 showing same applied to the trailer chassis for adapting the container for highway transportation;

FIGURE 8a is an exploded perspective view of the basic components of a freight handling system of which the container of FIGURE 1 forms a part;

FIGURES 9 and 10 are perspective views of the forward and rearward container support bracket and latching structures of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 11 is a diagrammatic perspective view illus trating a simplified bracket structure for supporting a conventional box type freight container on a railroad car such as that shown in FIGURE 1.

General Description Reference numeral 10 of FIGURE 1 generally indicates a flatcar 10 having the long travel cushioning characteristics contemplated by the aforementioned Peterson application. The specific car 10 illustrated is that described in the application of Marvin A. Peterson Serial No. 1,043, filed January 7, 1960 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by this reference) and includes an underframe 12 formed by relatively heavy side Sills 14, center sills 16 (see FIGURE 3), end sills 18, with the centersills and side sills on either side of the car being united by the bolster and cross bearer structures described in said Marvin A. Peterson application. The underframe 12 slidably carries draft and bufiing column 24 and interposed between the draft and bufiing column 20 and the underframe 12 is a long travel cushioning device that may be of the type described in William H. Peterson application Serial No. 782,786, filed December 24, 1958, now Patent No. 3,035,827, granted May 22, 1962, the

oneness disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by this reference.

Appropriate couplers 22 are connected toeach end of the draft and bufiing column as by suitable draft gear devices and it suffices for purposes of this invention to say that when impacts are applied against a coupler 22, the impetus of the impact is applied to the car underframe 12 through the long travel cushioning device, which operates in the range of between 20 and 40 inches (and preferably has a travel on the order of 30 inches), which cushioning device transfers and dissipates substantially all of the energy involved in the impact, except for a minor amount of the energy which is stored in the return springs of the cushioning device for restoring underframe 12 and butting column 20 to their normal operating positions.

As brought out in said Peter-son application Serial No. 856,963, when longitudinal impacts are transferred and dissipated over the closure distance indicated, a substantial portion of the impetus of the impact is transferred to the lading through or by means of the frictional forces acting between the car and the lading, and this together with the inherent stability of the lading and its internal friction, insures effective lading protection at impact speeds of up to collision magnitudes. The invention of said Peterson application Serial No. 856,963 is particularly beneficial in transporting resilient lading, which is composed of commoditie packed in fibre boxes and the like containers.

Said Peterson application Serial No. 856,963 also brings out that the long travel cushioning action obtained in car It also eliminates the tendency of the car to bounce and pitch under the impetus of longitudinal impacts, which not only permits the aforementioned frictional forces to aid in protecting the lading, but also protects the lading and containers therefor from the destructive effects of vertical shocks and lateral movement caused by sudden vertical movement of the car bed.

The invention described in said Peterson application Serial No. 856,963 therefore makes feasible the use of railroad car structures of much lighter construction than was heretofore thought possible and this also applies to freight containers and trailer bodies of the type used in piggyback practices.

Reference numeral 30 indicates a suitable form of freight container that is adapted for transit on car 10, which in the form illustrated in FIGURE 1 comprises a trailer body 32 of the type described in Patent No. 2,841,415 provided with eyes 34 at its corners for crane lifting same onto the fl-atcar 10. The trailer body 32 is separably connected to a trailer chassis 36 of the type described in the copending application of Jack E. Gutridge, Serial No. 699,759, filed November 29, 1957, now Patent No. 3,070,041, granted December 25, 1962.

In accordance with this invention, the container 30 is applied to flatcar by being mounted on forward bracket structures 40 and rearward bracket structures 42 that are respectively spaced for engagement by the forward and rearward ends of the container. The container 381 may be crane lifted onto the respective bracket structures and then locked in place by employing the forward latching devices 44 shown in FIGURE 3 and the rearward latching devices 46 shown in FIGURE 5.

The specific freight container 30 illustrated is provided with a special fifth wheel plate structure 48 adjacent its forward end, which depends from the bottom of the container and provides a mounting for kingpin 50. The container support brackets 49 are arranged to take advantage of this depending fifth wheel plate structure, and are disposed to engage it as best indicated in FIGURES 4 and 7.

It will be observed from FIGURE 7 that the fifth wheel plate structure 43 is generally quadrilateral in horizontal configuration, and as indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the container rests on bracket structures 2-63 by virtue of the fifth wheel plate structure 43 engaging these bracket structures. As seen in FIGURES l and 9, the bracket structures 49 included spaced coplanar load supporting surfaces 52 having at the forward and rearward ends thereof outwardly extending projections 54 and 55 which project forwardly and rearwardly of the cm respectively (assuming that the forward end of the car is the car end at which the front end of freight container is disposed). Load supporting surfaces 52 also have positioned adjacent their outwardly directed sides 58 the upwardly and outwardly extending projections 60, which thus project sidewise of the car.

The projections 54, 56 and 6d are spaced as indicated in FIGURE 7 so that they provide a longitudinal and lateral centering action on the fifth wheel plate structure 48 as the freight container is lowered into position on the support bracket structures 49 and 42.

The rear container support structures 42 include c0- planar load supporting surfaces 62 having associated therewith upwardly directed Projections 64 which are directed outwardly of the car sides. The objections 64 effect a lateral centering action on the rear end of the container 39 as it is lowered into position on the car support bracket.

When the containers 3% are mounted on the bracket support structures 4% and 42 and the latching devices 44 and 46 are actuated to latch the container to the car, the container is ready for rail transit and the long travel cushioning characteristics of car body 10 insure effective protection of the lading and the container.

FIGURE 11 illustrates a simplified container support bracket structure for mounting simple box type freight containers on flat cars, such as car 10 of FIGURE 1, and the embodiment of FIGURE 11 includes forward bracket structures 7t and rearward bracket structure 72 of substantially identical construction, each including a planar load supporting surface 74 which is bounded on two sides by upwardly extending and outwardly directed projections 76 and 78. As the container 89 (shown in outline in FIGURE 11) is lowered into position, the projections 76 and 78 provide longitudinal and lateral centering action on the container to effect proper application thereof to support surfaces 7 4.

FIGURE 8 shows container body 32 applied to the trailer chassis 36, the latter including a fifth wheel plate structure where indicated at 90, for providing a mounting for chassis kingpin 92. The cooperation between the chassis 36 and the container is preferably such that the container fifth wheel plate structure 48 is lodged against and is coplanar with the chassis fifth wheel plate structure 90, so as to provide two standard kingpin connections. Both the kingpins 50 and 92 are made retractable so that one can be removed when the other is to be attached to a tractor fifth wheel plate structure.

It will therefore be apparent that there is provided a highly simplified container support arrangement for railroad cars of the type indicated, which insures that freight containers of the types shown in the drawings as well as others to which the invention is applicable will be adequately secured to railroad cars of the type having long travel cushioning characteristics.

Specific Description Reference may be had to the said Marvin A. Peterson application for a complete description of car 19 although it may be mentioned that stringers 100, extending longirtudinally of the car (see FIGURES 3 and 5), togetherwith the side sills 14 provide support for a decking 102 that forms the bed 104- of car 10-. Decking 192 preferably is in the form of the nailable steel channels 106 that are best shown in FIGURES 9 and 10. They may be affixed to the car underfrarne and may be of the type described in Patent No. 2,910,016. The car body bolsters are shown in section in FIG- URE 3 and include spaced webs 1R0 secured :at their ends to the side sills and end sills and joined together at their bottom edges by bottom cover plates 112 and a top cover plate 114 which extends the width of the car. Cross tie members are employed between the underframe cross bearers, and each cross tie member is welded between a side sill 14 and a center sill 16, as is described in said Marvin A. Peterson application. A top reinforcing plate 118 is applied between the top flange 120 of the side sills and the decking channels 106 (see FIGURE 5).

Referring now specifically to the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 1-10, the forward bracket support structures 40 each comprise a rest structure 131 which in the form illustrated includes a bottom plate 132 welded to the decking channels 1%, a vertical sup-port plate 134, and a top plate 136 which provides the load supporting surface '52 for each rest structure. Plates 132, 134 and 136 may be welded together to provide a structural arrangernent having an I-shaped configuration in vertical section, or plates 132, 134 and 136 may be united in the form of a conventional I-beam cut to an appropriate length.

At each end, the rest structures 131} have mixed thereto vertical plates 138 and 141), which are welded between plates 132, 134 and 136 as well as the car decking. The vertical plates 138 and 141 are braced by plates 142 and 144, respectively, welded therebetween and the car decking. Plate 138 of each rest structure 30 is outwardly angled as at 146 to provide the outward projection 54 and this portion of the plate 138 may terminate in horizontal extensions 14% for reinforcing purposes.

The plates 14% are similarly angled as at th to provide the oppositely directed projections 56 and likewise plates 144 may terminate in horizontal extensions 152 for reinforcing purposes. As brought out in FIGURE 4, the respective plates 142 and 144 conform with and are affixed to the respective projections 54 and 56 as well as the extensions 148 and 152.

Plates 13S and 141 also include vertical segments 151 and 153, respectively, which are disposed above the load support surfaces 52, and below angled segments 146 and 159, respectively.

Each rest structure 131 also includes at the outer side thereof a vertical plate 154, which is braced by plate 156 and is formed with the angled portion 158 defining the laterally directed projection 60 of the respective rest structures 13% and a vertical segment 155 that is disposed above the respective load support surfaces 52. Plate 1% also preferably terminates in the horizontal extension 160 for reinforcing purposes. Plate 154 is welded to plates 132 and 136 as well as to the car decking and reinforcing plate 156 which also conforms with the configuration of the angled portion 158 and extension 166.

The segments 151, 153, and 155 of rest structure plates 138, 146, and 15 1 define a vertically disposed seat defining slot for receiving the fifth wheel plate structure 48 of a container 31 so that the reactance forces generated in rest structures 130 by reason of the weight of the container act only vertically.

The devices 44 and 46 for latching the container to the car may be of very simplified form. Referring to FIG- URES 3 and 8, the latching devices 44 may take the form of angle members 179 secured in upright position to the car decking, as by welding to base plates 171 that are in turn welded to the decking, and having pivoted thereto as by pins 172 swinging arms 174 which are formed with perforations 176 that are adapted to receive lock pins 178 carried by the containers 3%. Lock pins 178 are respectively slidably received in the bore 180 of tubular bodies 182, which have welded thereto arm 184 that pivotally carries bell crank lever 186, which is pivotally connected to pin 182 as by pin 188. Bell crank lever 186 may be connected to arm 184 by suitable pin 1911.

t will be apparent that when the container fifth wheel plate structure 48 rests on the respective rest structures, the swinging arms 174 may be swung to a substantially vertical position to receive the pins 182. By moving the bell crank levers 186 between the dashed and full line positions of FIGURE 3, the pins 178 are applied to the lever perforations 178 (the tapered end 179 of pin 178 permitting the necessary rocking movement within bore 181)), and during transit, the bell crank levers 186 will remain in the full line posifions since the car underframe will be insufficiently disturbed during impacts to cause any material bouncing action on the containers and thus upward movement of levers 186. Gravity may be relied on to hold levers 186 in their full line position of FIG- URE 3.

The rearward container support structures 42 generally comprise the rest structures shown in FIGURES 1 and 5 which are designated Zilila and 200b, respectively, as they slightly vary in arrangement.

The form 2129a is shown in FIGURES l and 10 and comprises a base plate 202 welded to the decking members 106 and having affixed thereto vertical support plate 204 which carries horizontal plate 2436 that provides the planar support surface 62. Aflixed to the plates 202, 294 and 206, is vertical plate 2138 formed with the angled portion 211} that defines the lateral projection 64 as well as a vertically disposed seat defining slot of the type referred to in connection with the rest structure 130; plate 208 may include horizontal extension 212 for reinforcing purposes, and said plate 2118 is braced by vertical plate 214 Welded between base plate 1112 and the outer surface of plate 2118. Brace plate 214 conforms in configuration to the shape of angled portion 210 and extension 212 of plate 208.

It will thus be seen that the rent structures 200a are of I configuration in vertical section and, as a matter of fact, plates 2&2, 264 and 206 may take the form of a simple I-beam member cut to an appropriate length.

The rest structure 211012 of FIGURES 4 and 5 is generally the same except that base plate 2112 is omitted and vertical plate 2114 is extended through decking 106 into engagernent with reinforcing plate 118 of the car side sill 114. Brace plate 208 is welded to the side edge 216 of reinforcing plate 118 (as well as to plates 204 and 206) and vertical plate 214 includes an inwardly directed extension 218 which is Welded .to a web 220 that is in turn welded between the upper and lower flanges and 222 of the car side sill 14.

The rear latching devices 46 each comprise a toggle lever 231i) pivoted to a support plate 232, as at 234, which support plate is iafiixed to a base plate 236 which in turn is welded to decking 1136. Lever 230 carries at each side thereof an arm 238 through which a threaded leg 241? of U-shaped locking retainer 242 extends Lock nuts 244 adjustably secure the retainer 242 within arms 238, and retainers 242 of each latching device 46 are adapted to be received over projections or studs 245 carried by the rear end of the container.

It will be apparent that when levers 2311 are swung downwardly into engagement with their supporting plates 232, with retainers 242 received over projections 245, the rear end of the container will be locked to the car.

Plate 232 may be braced by appropriate strengthening webs 251) (see FIGURE 7) welded between it and the base plate can, or in any other suitable manner.

The trailer container body 3-2 and chassis 36 generally conform to the invention described in said patent applica tion Serial No. 699,759 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by this reference). Application Serial No. 699,759 discloses a system for handling freight involving the use of -a truck or semi-trailer chassis 56 which can be readily detached from the container 32 carrying the freight load, and in one use of the system, the truck or semi-trailer, in this case the trailer chassis 36, is backed, when carrying the container 32, onto a special railroad car 252 (FIGURE 8a) provided with lateral retractable supports 253 at approximately the height of the container bottom (when carried by the chassis) and engageable therewith. Separation of the container from the semi-trailer chassis is effected, for instance, through the use of an air spring rear suspension on the trailer chassis, whichincludes controls for collapsing the air spring to allow the weight of the container to rest upon the car supports 253 (when extended as shown), whereupon the truck or serni-trailer can be pulled from underneath the container.

The special railroad car 252 is equipped with a fifth wheel stand 254- that engages with the kingpin on the container body 32, in the present case kingpin St to lift the front end of the semi-trailer from the front supports 253 of the railroad car and to carry the front end of the container load. Container body 32 has afiixed thereto rest blocks 255 that are intended to engage the forward supports 253.

The container is unloaded from the railroad car by substantially reversing the loading procedure, and the container is latched to the chassis by suitable latch devices such as those shown at 4-4 and 46 to ready it for highway transit. Supports 253 are pivoted to a vertical position when not in use.

Application Serial No. 699,759 may be referred to for any of the specific details of the invention described therein and not here elaborated.

The chassis 36 may take the form of spaced longitudinal members 26% joined at their rear ends by a suitable transverse member 262 and at their front ends by fifth wheel plate structure 9% that carries the chassis kingpin 92. The chassis 36 is supported on its wheeled axle unit 264 by suitable air springs 266, operation of which provides the above described raising and lowering action of the chassis. The chassis also includes conventional landing gear 268.

As best seen in FIGURES 5, 7 and 8a, the container body 32 at its rear end carries spaced bumpers 276, which are welded to the rear edge of the container and depend from the bottom thereof (see FIGURE Each bumper includes an extension 272 which extends under the undersur-face of the container 32 and is provided with an inclined or diagonally disposed deflecting surface 274. The bumper-s are spaced apart a distance less than the width of the chassis so that the rear end of the chassis will con tact the under portions of the bumpers where indicated by arrows 276 in FIGURE 7, the tapering or inclined portions 274 being spaced apart a distance slightly in excess of the width of the chassis so that they may serve to guide 7 the rear end of the chassis into proper engagement with the bumpers 270.

Thus, when an empty chassis 35 is backed onto the railroad car supporting a container body 32, it is backed until the rear of the chassis contacts bumpers 270, after which the air springs are operated to raise the chassis into full engagement with the container.

It will be noted that the rear portion 280 of the chassis is disposed at a lower level than the forward portion 282 is, and the difference in elevation is made sufiicient so that the chassis 36 may be backed underneath the container fifth wheel plate structure 43. The container fifth wheel structure 48 has a width corresponding with the distance between a longitudinal framing member 26th of the chassis so that as the chassis continues to be backed towards the bumpers 2'70 of the container, the chassis fifth wheel plate structure 9% approaches the container fifth wheel structure 48. Preferably, the proportioning of the elements is such that when the container chassis contacts bumpers 27%, the forward portion of the container fifth 'wheel plate structure will be spaced from the chassis fifth wheel plate structure a distance on the order of to Ms of an inch.

The fifth Wheel plate structures 48 and 9% may be formed in any suitable manner, but in view of the stresses that are to be applied to them, they should be relatively strong. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the container fifth wheel plate structure includes bottom plate 290 (see FIGURE 8) which is welded to ver- C) tical plates (not shown) forming a grid work that are in turn fixed as by welding to the bottom of the container. The sides are closed by suitable plates 2.92 welded in place.

Kingpin 5d of the container is pivotally secured to the fifth wheel plate structure 48 by an appropriate pin 294 (see FIGURE 6) and the fifth wheel plate structure 48 is formed as at 2% to permit the kingpin to swing between the broken and full line positions of FIGURE 6. The kingpin is held in either of these positions by a suitable slidably mounted latch 298- which engages in the respective slots 3953 of the kingpin and is held in said slots by a suitable spring 3ti2. Latch 298 may be provided with a suitable actuating pin $04 for moving same out of the respective notches 3% against the action of spring 302.

The chassis fifth wheel plate structure includes bottom plate 3'96 which is welded between longitudinal framing members see and is also fixed to a suitable reinforcing grid worn or the like that likewise is fixed between longitudinal framing members 206 to provide a rigidly united unitary structure. Kingpin d2 in the illustrated arrangernent is made removable by being screw threaded into fifth wheel plate structure slot 308 being provided in the kingpin for turning same with respect to its screw threaded mounting.

The sides of the container fifth wheel plate structure may be tapered as at 319 to provide a locating action with respect to the chassis longitudinal framing members 260 at their inclined portion 311. The blocks 255 of the con tainer rest on the aforementioned supports that are provided on the railroad car. The chassis at its front and rear ends is provided with container latch devices that are similar to those already described, as indicated by the reference numerals.

Preferably, the chassis and container fifth wheel plate structure are arranged to position the two kingpins at two standard kingpin locations, for instance, at 18 and 36 inches respectively from the front of a container. In the illustrated arrangement, the chassis fifth Wheel plate structure is provided with projection 32% to insure positioning of kingpin 92 at the 18 inch distance, and the fifth wheel plate structure 48 of the container is made complementary to this projection at its front end. The projection 320 also provides a maximum bearing area for the tractor fifth wheel plate.

it will thus be seen that the container fifth wheel plate structure 4-8, in addition to serving as a bearing area for the container when applied to the container support brackets 41 also has the important function of aligning the kingpin of the container horizontally with the kingpin of the trailer chassis, it being contemplated that the chassis and container fifth wheel plate structures will be of substantially equal depths to insure a coplanar positioning of the kingpins. Thus, the depth of the container fifth wheel plate structure will correspond with the depth of the chassis framing members to insure that the two kingpins are level with each other.

Also, the container fifth wheel plate structure serves as a shear type lock between the chassis and the container that prohibits the container from coming forward of the chassis during braking on highway service. Thus, a serious accident may be avoided in the event of failure of the rear container locks.

The sides of the container fifth wheel plate structure are proportioned to have a tolerance of inch with respect to the longitudinal framing members of the chassis so that there is a locking action at the sides of the fifth wheel plate structure against lateral forces. The

rearward projection 32d of the trailer fifth wheel plate structure forms no interlock and does not serve any interlock purposes.

While the chassis kingpin 92 would ordinarily be used in highway service, the container kingpin provides an alternate arrangement, which when combined with a shifting chassis wheel tandem arrangement of any conventional type (not shown) provides a means for selecting 9 the desired or necessary wheel weight load and trailer length in accordance with local laws.

The container 32 may be applied to car after being transported thereto on chassis 36 by first unlocking the chassis and trailer locks 44 and 46 and then crane lifting the container onto the forward and rearward bracket structures 40 and 42. As the container 32 is lowered into place on the respective rest structures, it is centered laterally of the car by the sidewise extending projections 60 and 64, and it is centered longitudinally of the car by projections 54 and 56 (see FIGURES 9 and 10). Projections 54, 56, 6G and 64 should be positioned to accurately locate the container so that the latch devices 44 and 46 of the container and car will be operative.

Container 80 of FIGURE 11 may be loaded on its rest structures in like manner, projections '76 and 78 providing the centering action desired. Bracket structures 70 each comprise a rest structure 350 including a base plate 352 which is welded to decking 1%, rest or support plate 354 afiixed to base plate 352. and supporting top plate 356 which forms the supporting surface 74. At the outer sides of each rest structure are afixed vertical reinforcing plates 358 that are braced by plates 3st) and that are angled as at 359 to provide projections 76 and '78, plates 360 being afiixed to said angled portions. Plates 358 are formed to define the vertically disposed seat defining slots described in connection with the rest structure 130. The plates just described are preferably united together and to the car decking as by welding, though plates 352, 354 and 356 may take the form of a short I beam. Latch devices 44 and 46 may be employed with container 89, as indicated in FIGURE 11.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a container supporting bracket arrangement which is not only of greatly simplified form but also is compatible with the unique freight handling system described in application Serial No. 699,759. Furthermore, ordinary box type containers can be readily handled by applying the form of the invention shown in FIGURE 11.

One of the great benefits of the invention with regard to the support brackets is that the container is spaced above the fioor of the car during transit. Most conventional forms of container tie downs and attachments are applied directly to the bed of the fiatcar and become inoperative when the car bed is covered with snow and ice as frequently happens in inclement weather. The container support brackets illustrated are free of latching or tie down devices, and the latching devices employed are kept free from fouling by their simplified nature and in most instances, elevation above the car bed.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate my invention and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since those skilled in the art who have my disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a railroad car combination for transporting freight containers, with said car including a fiat car bed, couplers operatively connected to each end of the car, cushioning means interposed between the bed and the couplers for absorbing longitudinal impacts applied to the coupiers over a distance in the range of from about twenty to about forty inches, a freight container of generally parallelepiped configuration, and forward and rearward pairs of bracket structures fixed to said bed and adapted to be engaged by the forward and rearward ends of the freight container to support same on the car, the improvement in said combination for adapting for use in said combination a container that is characterized by the lack of tie down devices at its lower corners, wherein:

(a) said bracket structures each comprise a container rest structure of T configuration in vertical cross section,

(b) said rest structures each comprising:

(1) an upper planar horizontal plate member defining a load supporting surface on which the container is adapted to rest,

(2) and a lower vertical planar plate member that is fixed to and supported by the car bed,

(3) said horizontal plate members of each rest structure being respectively fixed to the upwardly projecting ends of the respective vertical plate members of the respective rest structures along the mid portions of the respective horizontal plate members, whereby said vertical plate members respectively support the respective load support surfaces at an elevated position above the car bed,

(4) said container rest structures each further including at the sides thereof facing the sides of the car a first vertical brace plate member fixed between the outer edge of the respective horizontal plate members and the car bed,

(5) said brace plate members being disposed in planes that extend longitudinally of the car and each including an upper portion that projects above the respective load supporting surfaces of the respective rest structures,

(6) with said brace plate portions including a lower vertically disposed segment positioned adjacent the respective load supporting surfaces and an upper segment that projects diagonally upwardly, outwardly, and transversely of the car bed,

(7) said container rest structures also each including a second vertically disposed brace plate member fixed between the mid portion of the outwardly facing sides of said first vertical brace plate members of the respective rest structures and the car bed and extending normally of the respective first mentioned brace plate members,

(8) said second brace plate members respectively having their upper edges formed to complement the configuration of the respective first brace plate member upper portions and being respectively secured thereto,

(9) said diagonally projecting segments of the respective first brace plate upper portions serving to center the container with respect to said rest structures laterally of the car when the container is lowered onto the car, said vertically disposed segments of the respective first brace plate members and said supporting surfaces serving to define a vertically disposed seat defining slot for receiving the container whereby the reactance forces generated in said rest structures by reason of the weight of the container when resting on said rest structures act only vertically,

(c) and wherein said combination includes forward and rearward latching device elements positioned on the car adjacent said forward and rearward bracket structures, respectively,

(d) with the forward latching device elements being spaced from the bracket structures ot said forward pair of bracket structures and said rearward latching device elements being spaced from said bracket structures of said rearward pair of bracket structures,

(2) said latching device elements being positioned for vertical alignment with complementary latching device elements carried by the forward and rearward faces of the container, respectively, when the container is placed on said bracket structures,

( said car latching device elements including means for effecting interlocking engagement with the corresponding latching device elements of the container at a level that at least corresponds to the elevation of said horizontal plate members above the car bed,

(g) and means for indexing the container longitudinally of the car to vertically align the respective forward and rearward faces of the container with said car forward and rearward latching device ele ments, respectively.

2. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein:

(/2) said means for indexing said container longitudinally of the car comprises:

(1) a first vertical brace plate member fixed between the forwardly facing edge of the horizontal plate member of one of the forward rest structures and the car bed and a second vertical brace plate brace member fixed between the rearwardly facing edge or" the horizontal plate member of one of the other of said rest structures,

(2) said longitudinal indexing means brace plate members being disposed in planes that extend transversely of the car and each including an upper portion that projects above the respective load supporting surfaces of the respective rest structures,

(3) said longitudinal indexing means brace plate member upper portions including a lower vertically disposed segment positioned adjacent the respective load supporting surfaces and an upper segment that projects diagonally upwardly, outwardly, and longitudinally of the car bed, and

(4) means for bracing said longitudinal indexing means brace plate members against shocks acting longitudinally of the car,

(5) said diagonally projecting segments of the respective longitudinal indexing means brace plate members serving to center the container with respect to said rest structures longitudinally of the car, said vertically disposed segments of the respective longitudinal indexing means brace plate members serving to define a portion of said socket for receiving the container.

3. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein (it) said car forward latching device elements comprise (l) a base member secured to the car bed,

(2) and a swinging arm member pivotally secured to said base member to swing between a substantially horizontally disposed position on the car bed and a vertically disposed position,

(1) a stud member projecting rearwardly of the container, (k) and wherein said car rearward latching device elements comprise:

(l) toggle latch means operably secured to the car and including a looped retainer member engagable with said stud for latching the stud member to the car bed.

4. The apparatus combination set forth in claim 1 wherein (h) the bottom of said container includes a downwardly projecting fifth wheel plate structure,

(i) and wherein said forward pair of rest structures extend longitudinally of the car and are positioned to be engaged by said fifth wheel plate structure.

5. The apparatus combination set forth in claim 1 wherein (it) said rest structures are positioned to receive the lower forward and rearward corners of said con tainer.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,407,594 Smith Feb. 21, 1922 1,408,413 Smith Feb, 28, 1922 1,675,701 Fitch July 3, 1928 1,710,737 Kiesel Apr. 30, 1929 2,002,439 Owens May 21, 1935 2,047,955 Fitch July 21, 1936 2,756,073 Bridge July 24, 1956 2,837,037 Holmberg June 3, 1958 2,876,016 McClellan Mar. 3, 1959 3,003,436 Peterson Oct. 10, 1961 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3,107,634 October 22, 1963 Jack E, Gutridge It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 12 line 18, after "car" insert bed Signed and sealed this 28th day of April 1964.

(SEAL) Attcst:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN A RAILROAD CAR COMBINATION FOR TRANSPORTING FREIGHT CONTAINERS, WITH SAID CAR INCLUDING A FLAT CAR BED, COUPLERS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO EACH END OF THE CAR, CUSHIONING MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE BED AND THE COUPLERS OR ABSORBING LONGITUDINAL IMPACTS APPLIED TO THE COUPLERS OVER A DISTANCE IN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT TWENTY TO ABOUT FORTY INCHES, A FREIGHT CONTAINER OF GENERALLY PARALLELEPIPED CONFIGURATION, AND FORWARD AND REARWARD PAIRS OF BRACKET STRUCTURES FIXED TO SAID BED AND ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY THE FORWARD AND REARWARD ENDS OF THE FREIGHT CONTAINER TO SUPPORT SAME ON THE CAR, THE IMPROVEMENT IN SAID COMBINATION FOR ADAPTING FOR USE IN SAID COMBINATION A CONTAINER THAT IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE LACK OF TIE DOWN DEVICES AT ITS LOWER CORNERS, WHEREIN: (A) SAID BRACKET STRUCTURES EACH COMPRISE A CONTAINER REST STRUCTURE OF T CONFIGURATION IN VERTICAL CROSS SECTION, (B) SAID REST STRUCTURES EACH COMPRISING: (1) AN UPPER PLANAR HORIZONTAL PLATE MEMBER DEFINING A LOAD SUPPORTING SURFACE ON WHICH THE CONTAINER IS ADAPTED TO REST, (2) AND A LOWER VERTICAL PLANAR PLATE MEMBER THAT IS FIXED TO AND SUPPORTED BY THE CAR BED, (3) SAID HORIZONTAL PLATE MEMBERS OF EACH REST STRUCTURE BEING RESPECTIVELY FIXED TO THE UPWARDLY PROJECTING ENDS OF THE RESPECTIVE VERTICAL PLATE MEMBERS OF THE RESPECTIVE REST STRUCTURES ALONG THE MID PORTIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE HORIZONTAL PLATE MEMBERS, WHEREBY SAID VERTICAL PLATE MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY SUPPORT THE RESPECTIVE LOAD SUPPORT SURFACES AT AN ELEVATED POSITION ABOVE THE CAR BED, (4) SAID CONTAINER REST STRUCTURES EACH FURTHER INCLUDING AT THE SIDES THEREOF FACING THE SIDES OF THE CAR A FIRST VERTICAL BRACE PLATE MEMBER FIXED BETWEEN THE OUTER EDGE OF THE RESPECTIVE HORIZONTAL PLATE MEMBERS AND THE CAR BED, (5) SAID BRACE PLATE MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED IN PLANES THAT EXTEND LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CAR AND EACH INCLUDING AN UPPER PORTION THAT PROJECTS ABOVE THE RESPECTIVE LOAD SUPPORTING SURFACES OF THE RESPECTIVE REST STRUCTURES, (6) WITH SAID BRACE PLATE PORTIONS INCLUDING A LOWER VERTICALLY DISPOSED SEGMENT POSITIONED ADJACENT THE RESPECTIVE LOAD SUPPORTING SURFACES AND AN UPPER SEGMENT THAT PROJECTS DIAGONALLY UPWARDLY, OUTWARDLY, AND TRANSVERSELY OF THE CAR BED, (7) SAID CONTAINER REST STRUCTURES ALSO EACH INCLUDING A SECOND VERTICALLY DISPOSED BRACE PLATE MEMBER FIXED BETWEEN THE MID PORTION OF THE OUTWARDLY FACING SIDES OF SAID FIRST VERTICAL BRACE PLATE MEMBERS OF RHE RESPECTIVE REST STRUCTURES AND THE CAR BED AND EXTENDING NORMALLY OF THE RESPECTIVE FIRST MENTIONED BRACE PLATE MEMBERS, (8) SAID SECOND BRACE PLATE MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY HAVING THEIR UPPER EDGES FORMED TO COMPLEMENT THE CONFIGURATION OF THE RESPECTIVE FIRST BRACE PLATE MEMBER UPPER PORTIONS AND BEING RESPECTIVELY SECURED THERETO, (9) SAID DIAGONALLY PROJECTING SEGMENTS OF THE RESPECTIVE FIRST BRACE PLATE UPPER PORTIONS SERVING TO CENTER THE CONTAINER WITH RESPECT TO SAID REST STRUCTURES LATERALLY OF THE CAR WHEN THE CONTAINER IS LOWERED ONTO THE CAR SAID VERTICALLY DISPOSED SEGMENTS OF THE RESPECTIVE FIRST BRACE PLATE MEMBERS AND SAID SUPPORTING SURFACES SERVING TO DEFINE A VERTICALLY DISPOSED SEAT DEFINING SLOT FOR RECEIVING THE CONTAINER WHEREBY THE REACTANCE FORCES GENERATED IN SAID REST STRUCTURES BY REASON OF THE WEIGHT OF THE CONTAINER WHEN RESTING ON SAID REST STRUCTURES ACT ONLY VERTICALLY, (C) AND WHEREIN SAID COMBINATION INCLUDES FORWARD AND REARWARD LATCHING DEVICE ELEMENTS POSITIONED ON THE CAR ADJACENT SAID FORWARD AND REARWARD BRACKET STRUCTURES, RESPECTIVELY, (D) WITH THE FORWARD LATCHING DEVICE ELEMENTS BEING SPACED FROM THE BRACKET STRUCTURES OF SAID FORWARD PAIR OF BRACKET STRUCTURES AND SAID REARWARD LATCHING DEVICE ELEMENTS BEING SPACED FROM SAID BRACKET STRUCTURES OF SAID REARWARD PAIR OF BRACKET STRUCTURES, (E) SAID LATCHING DEVICE ELEMENTS BEING POSITIONED FOR VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH COMPLEMENTARY LATCHING DEVICE ELEMENTS CARRIED BY THE FORWARD AND REARWARD FACES OF THE CONTAINER, RESPECTIVELY, WHEN THE CONTAINER IS PLACED ON SAID BRACKET STRUCTURES, (F) SAID CAR LATCHING DEVICE ELEMENTS INCLUDING MEANS FOR EFFECTING INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CORRESPONDING LATCHING DEVICE ELEMENTS OF THE CONTAINER AT A LEVEL THAT AT LEAST CORRESPONDS TO THE ELEVATION OF SAID HORIZONTAL PLATE MEMBERS ABOVE THE CAR BED, (G) AND MEANS FOR INDEXING THE CONTAINER LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CAR TO VERTICALLY ALIGN THE RESPECTIVE FORWARD AND REARWARD FACES OF THE CONTAINER WITH SAID CAR FORWARD AND REARWARD LATCHING DEVICE ELEMENTS, RESPECTIVELY. 